In 2002, the U.S. Mint struck a small number of Sacagawea Golden Dollars in Brilliant Uncirculated condition. Coins in this condition are almost always released into circulation, but the U.S. Mint took the extraordinary step of making the 2002 Sacagawea Golden Dollars available only to collectors. The same thing happened in 2003, 2004, and 2005 – and in each year the number of coins made was smaller than the year before. (2005 mintages are not final yet.)

The reason no coins were released into circulation was that the Sacagawea Golden Dollar did not circulate as widely as the Mint had hoped. As a result, there were enough coins already in circulation to meet the demand.

The 2002-2005 Sacagawea Golden Dollars are by far the rarest in the series. They are also the most difficult to find, because they were available to collectors only from the U.S. Mint. It is very hard to find even one of these coins.

This collection features each year's 'never released' Sacagawea Golden Dollar. It is an extraordinary collection that is almost impossible to assemble on your own. The coins are no longer available from the U.S. Mint.

To add to this collection's importance, the Sacagawea Golden Dollar is expected to disappear altogether soon. Congress has approved a plan to issue a series of Presidential Dollars to take the place of the Sacagawea Golden Dollar, starting in about 2007. When the Presidential Dollars series starts, collectors everywhere will be scrambling to find the short-lived Sacagawea Golden Dollars …especially the 2002-2005 coins that were 'never released.'

The Sacagawea Golden Dollar was first minted in 2000 and is America's first golden coin as well as the first circulating coin to feature an identifiable Native American. Sacagawea was the Native American guide who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804-1806 on their quest to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. Without her knowledge of the land, the expedition would have failed, and America’s westward expansion would have been delayed for many years. The coin depicts Sacagawea with her baby, Jean Baptiste, on her back.

The reverse of the coin features an American eagle in flight, as well as 17 stars. This unusual number of stars symbolizes the 17 states in the Union at the time of Sacagawea’s journey with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

This collection is displayed in a custom collector's wallet and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.